Our Canadian Dominion Half a dozen ballads about a king for Canada. From the pen of Martin F. Tupper, with some prose comments |
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 | Our Canadian Dominion |  |
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No. I. A KING FOR A COLONY.
Cubs of the grand old lioness brood,
Patriot colonies, sturdy and shrewd,
All of you—each,—wherever unfurl'd
St. George's cross flames over the world,
Hearken a minute, and let one word
Now by two hemispheres loudly be heard,—
Alfred! glory shines in the name;
Alfred! it rings on the buckler of fame;
Alfred! which of you, then, most wise,
Prays and works to secure such a prize?
Lo! what a name as a Founder-King's!
What a seed of high thoughts, what a root of good things!
What a watchword in war, what a motto for peace!
What a prince,—more worthy of you—than of Greece!
Patriot colonies, sturdy and shrewd,
All of you—each,—wherever unfurl'd
St. George's cross flames over the world,
Hearken a minute, and let one word
Now by two hemispheres loudly be heard,—
Alfred! glory shines in the name;
Alfred! it rings on the buckler of fame;
Alfred! which of you, then, most wise,
Prays and works to secure such a prize?
Lo! what a name as a Founder-King's!
What a seed of high thoughts, what a root of good things!
What a watchword in war, what a motto for peace!
What a prince,—more worthy of you—than of Greece!
Proud Australia, spangled with gold;
India, man's gemm'd cradle of old;
Canada, colleagued with comrades brave;
Hope-bound Africa, purged of the slave;
And wherever from hundreds of Isles
Mother Britannia frowns and smiles,—
Which of you all, true lovers of us,
Truer self-lover will prove, as thus?
Which of you, such wise love to evince,
Will pray for your King in the Sailor Prince,
And ere many more of his summers be run,
Ask of the Queen, for your King, Her Son?
India, man's gemm'd cradle of old;
Canada, colleagued with comrades brave;
Hope-bound Africa, purged of the slave;
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Mother Britannia frowns and smiles,—
Which of you all, true lovers of us,
Truer self-lover will prove, as thus?
Which of you, such wise love to evince,
Will pray for your King in the Sailor Prince,
And ere many more of his summers be run,
Ask of the Queen, for your King, Her Son?
For, in the fulness of time, it is seen
That swarming bees hive off from their Queen:
Not like America, sorrow to tell,
Forced by that tyrannous tax to rebel;
But, as constrain'd by the spread of mankind,
The width of the world, and the progress of mind,
By numbers and wealth, by distance and clime,
By the Babel-scatter of Place and of Time.
We, small isles on the ends of the earth,
People the world with a Titan birth;
We, a mere eagle's nest on a rock,
Are hatching-out so much of eaglet-stock
That flocks fly forth, full-fledged, full-grown,
And each claims an eyrie and rock of his own!
We cannot keep men-children at school;
Nor fancy by telegraph-wires to rule,
Puppet-like, mighty communities free,
Thousands of leagues, over land, over sea:
Stout and shrewd, full of power and skill,
And quite independent—save for good-will,—
Swarming peoples, born in a day,
Cover huge continents far away,—
Too far, too huge, such Nations upspring
To bear the small pride of a Downing-Street King.
That swarming bees hive off from their Queen:
Not like America, sorrow to tell,
Forced by that tyrannous tax to rebel;
But, as constrain'd by the spread of mankind,
The width of the world, and the progress of mind,
By numbers and wealth, by distance and clime,
By the Babel-scatter of Place and of Time.
We, small isles on the ends of the earth,
People the world with a Titan birth;
We, a mere eagle's nest on a rock,
Are hatching-out so much of eaglet-stock
That flocks fly forth, full-fledged, full-grown,
And each claims an eyrie and rock of his own!
We cannot keep men-children at school;
Nor fancy by telegraph-wires to rule,
Puppet-like, mighty communities free,
Thousands of leagues, over land, over sea:
Stout and shrewd, full of power and skill,
And quite independent—save for good-will,—
Swarming peoples, born in a day,
Cover huge continents far away,—
Too far, too huge, such Nations upspring
To bear the small pride of a Downing-Street King.
Ay,—vast Empires with clipt wings,
Giant-children in leading-strings,
Tutored and trammell'd o'er lands and seas
By clerks at their office-antipodes,
Half set free, it is true, but still
Slaves to some partizan Premier's will,—
Is it not, some of you, time to escape
From circumlocution's fetters of tape?—
High time now to be running alone
With a King of your choice, a King of your own?
No creature of party, no rival of place,
No clamorous oligarch, vain of his race,
No broken-down soldier, no half-ruined lord,
No barnacle-hack of a Government board,
No tinsel sham-king with his flunkeyfied court,
But the real royal thing of the right good sort,—
A stem of Britannia's Oak, that fills
With the boughs of a dynasty old as the hills,
Rooted at centre and acorn'd to heaven,
This dear old planet, to man God-given!
Giant-children in leading-strings,
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By clerks at their office-antipodes,
Half set free, it is true, but still
Slaves to some partizan Premier's will,—
Is it not, some of you, time to escape
From circumlocution's fetters of tape?—
High time now to be running alone
With a King of your choice, a King of your own?
No creature of party, no rival of place,
No clamorous oligarch, vain of his race,
No broken-down soldier, no half-ruined lord,
No barnacle-hack of a Government board,
No tinsel sham-king with his flunkeyfied court,
But the real royal thing of the right good sort,—
A stem of Britannia's Oak, that fills
With the boughs of a dynasty old as the hills,
Rooted at centre and acorn'd to heaven,
This dear old planet, to man God-given!
For well do I wot that your wisdom clings
To the quiet good rule of legitimate Kings:
For you, no republican riots shall roar,
No constant elections corrupt to the core,
No towns be laid waste by renewed civil strife,
No provinces blasted by war to the knife!
British America! look well around;
Sulphurous skies, and blood-sodden ground,
Famishing orphans, and desolate farms,
Shouts of fierce fury from brothers in arms.
Hark! how their terrible eloquence rings,—
“Curses on Presidents, Blessings on Kings!”
To the quiet good rule of legitimate Kings:
For you, no republican riots shall roar,
No constant elections corrupt to the core,
No towns be laid waste by renewed civil strife,
No provinces blasted by war to the knife!
British America! look well around;
Sulphurous skies, and blood-sodden ground,
Famishing orphans, and desolate farms,
Shouts of fierce fury from brothers in arms.
Hark! how their terrible eloquence rings,—
“Curses on Presidents, Blessings on Kings!”
And—if he but wills—what a King for your choice!
What a nature, as well as a name, to rejoice
Your hope of his future from love of his past,
A slower beginning that's surer to last.
Let us speak the plain truth without favour or fear;
No paragon piece of perfection is here,
No fabled romantic impossible prince
Never seen before Arthur, nor in him, nor since;
But, a soul full of pluck, and a mind full of thought,
Well-born and well-nurtured, well-grown and well-taught,
Frank, kindly, whole-hearted, brave, simple, and true,
And if still a youth better fitted for you;
No prejudice rampant, nor habits grown strong,
Nor need of unlearning a possible wrong,
But, scion of England and bred in her school,
True to his right, constitutional rule.
What a nature, as well as a name, to rejoice
Your hope of his future from love of his past,
A slower beginning that's surer to last.
Let us speak the plain truth without favour or fear;
No paragon piece of perfection is here,
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Never seen before Arthur, nor in him, nor since;
But, a soul full of pluck, and a mind full of thought,
Well-born and well-nurtured, well-grown and well-taught,
Frank, kindly, whole-hearted, brave, simple, and true,
And if still a youth better fitted for you;
No prejudice rampant, nor habits grown strong,
Nor need of unlearning a possible wrong,
But, scion of England and bred in her school,
True to his right, constitutional rule.
And dream not, O world, that in cutting them free,
Dear patriarch England less honour'd would be,—
An Ishmael, with twelve of the sons of his hearth,
Princes and Kings all over the Earth!
And dare not, O statesman, to hint with a sneer,
“Secession! high treason! a traitor is here!”
The son that is married and settled in life
Secedes, if you will, to his home and his wife;
But his home is a nook for your peaceful grey hair,
And his wife a new daughter to set your armchair:
Kingdoms and families follow like laws;
Division had ever good growth for its cause.
And dread not, O Queen, that in leaving them thus,
Their hearts as in pride could repudiate us:
No! king'd with some Prince of the Blood as their own,
Allied as dear kindred, yet standing alone,
Each realm with its difference, when it upsprung,
Would claim, as one race, one flag with one tongue:
Great England would be, as in wealth so in worth,
Victoria's England, all over the Earth;
Our Alfred might hold an American helm,
Our Arthur rule over Australia's realm,
Our Leopold, Rajah of India be seen,
And the great Maharanee of all be The Queen!
Dear patriarch England less honour'd would be,—
An Ishmael, with twelve of the sons of his hearth,
Princes and Kings all over the Earth!
And dare not, O statesman, to hint with a sneer,
“Secession! high treason! a traitor is here!”
The son that is married and settled in life
Secedes, if you will, to his home and his wife;
But his home is a nook for your peaceful grey hair,
And his wife a new daughter to set your armchair:
Kingdoms and families follow like laws;
Division had ever good growth for its cause.
And dread not, O Queen, that in leaving them thus,
Their hearts as in pride could repudiate us:
No! king'd with some Prince of the Blood as their own,
Allied as dear kindred, yet standing alone,
Each realm with its difference, when it upsprung,
Would claim, as one race, one flag with one tongue:
Great England would be, as in wealth so in worth,
Victoria's England, all over the Earth;
Our Alfred might hold an American helm,
Our Arthur rule over Australia's realm,
Our Leopold, Rajah of India be seen,
And the great Maharanee of all be The Queen!
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No. II. TO BRITISH AMERICA.
Is it your wish to be free,
To be rich, to be glorious on earth?
Is it your hope a great nation to be,
Growing in wealth and worth?
Unite, unite, unite!
Remember the fable of yore,
Banded together by reason and right
In brotherhood, strong and secure!
To be rich, to be glorious on earth?
Is it your hope a great nation to be,
Growing in wealth and worth?
Unite, unite, unite!
Remember the fable of yore,
Banded together by reason and right
In brotherhood, strong and secure!
Or, can this be your will,
That jealousies (frankly to speak)
Shrivel you down to poor provinces still,
Separate, selfish, and weak?—
Each little clan for itself
Scrambling in covetous pride,
Nursing its own petty pleasure and pelf,
Scorn'd of the world beside!
That jealousies (frankly to speak)
Shrivel you down to poor provinces still,
Separate, selfish, and weak?—
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Scrambling in covetous pride,
Nursing its own petty pleasure and pelf,
Scorn'd of the world beside!
More,—there is peril at hand,—
A storm from the South rolls nigh!
Where is the giant its fury to stand?
Where are the pigmies to fly?
Unite, unite, unite!
And so be that giant yourselves;
Never let Yankeedom scatter in flight
A rabble of separate elves!
A storm from the South rolls nigh!
Where is the giant its fury to stand?
Where are the pigmies to fly?
Unite, unite, unite!
And so be that giant yourselves;
Never let Yankeedom scatter in flight
A rabble of separate elves!
How would your commerce flow free
In floods from the West and the East,
Exchanging all gifts of the land and the sea
In a rich and reciprocal feast!
How would your rails and your ships,
Your roads, mines, forests, and fields,
Pour on your empire over its lips
All that prosperity yields!
In floods from the West and the East,
Exchanging all gifts of the land and the sea
In a rich and reciprocal feast!
How would your rails and your ships,
Your roads, mines, forests, and fields,
Pour on your empire over its lips
All that prosperity yields!
Your empire! Yes,—be it thus;
Not Confederation alone,
But,—just a Great Nation! and claiming from us
A Prince of the Blood for your throne!
His children your monarchs to be,
His peers of your own loyal sons,
And British America English and free
From Vancouver Isle to St. John's!
Not Confederation alone,
But,—just a Great Nation! and claiming from us
A Prince of the Blood for your throne!
His children your monarchs to be,
His peers of your own loyal sons,
And British America English and free
From Vancouver Isle to St. John's!
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No. III. ALFRED, PRINCE OF CANADA.
Who shall be Canada's Head?
Who then is fittest and best
To reign for the Queen, and to rule in her stead
Our glorious Britain out-west?
Lo! a new nation to raise,—
Lo! a great people to guide,—
Who shall be chosen their pride and their praise,
To win all their hearts to his side?
Who then is fittest and best
To reign for the Queen, and to rule in her stead
Our glorious Britain out-west?
Lo! a new nation to raise,—
Lo! a great people to guide,—
Who shall be chosen their pride and their praise,
To win all their hearts to his side?
Any political Peer?
Any old Sword on the shelf?
One of the Barnacle family here,
Greedy for place and for pelf?
Shall such as this be your Chief,
As the right man for the hour,
To cherish your bud into blossom and leaf,
And bring to good fruit your glad flower?
Any old Sword on the shelf?
One of the Barnacle family here,
Greedy for place and for pelf?
Shall such as this be your Chief,
As the right man for the hour,
To cherish your bud into blossom and leaf,
And bring to good fruit your glad flower?
No! Let a Prince of the Blood,
Born in the purple of State,
Let Alfred be given, young Alfred the Good,
To match with old Alfred the Great!
Here is the Chieftain for choice;
Loyalty's life to evince,
Canada prays with her heart in her voice,
“Queen, give us Alfred for Prince!”
Born in the purple of State,
Let Alfred be given, young Alfred the Good,
To match with old Alfred the Great!
Here is the Chieftain for choice;
Loyalty's life to evince,
Canada prays with her heart in her voice,
“Queen, give us Alfred for Prince!”
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No. IV. A VICEROY FOR CANADA.
How well it were for Canada, if only this was done—
That Queen Victoria lend us now her gallant sailor son,
To stand, her presence, thus to us,—her sceptre here to hold,
And shine, our good-ship's figure-head of royal blue and gold!
That Queen Victoria lend us now her gallant sailor son,
To stand, her presence, thus to us,—her sceptre here to hold,
And shine, our good-ship's figure-head of royal blue and gold!
Look you,—just launch'd “The Canada” comes sailing on in state,
No more a mere provincial craft,—a taut and trim first-rate,—
A man-of-war, a real Queen's ship, with all her canvas set,
To claim as captain from the Queen her noblest captain yet!
No more a mere provincial craft,—a taut and trim first-rate,—
A man-of-war, a real Queen's ship, with all her canvas set,
To claim as captain from the Queen her noblest captain yet!
Or haply, if her Alfred be destined otherwhere,
To bless his sainted Father's realm, and rule as sovereign there,—
How well it were for Canada to find both pride and praise
In sweet young Arthur, antitype of Arthur in old days!
To bless his sainted Father's realm, and rule as sovereign there,—
How well it were for Canada to find both pride and praise
In sweet young Arthur, antitype of Arthur in old days!
Alfred—or Arthur—either stands a dear historic name
That equally with us for love America may claim,—
And thus a watchword of itself to hold the West in peace,
And keep our race at unison, and bid their quarrels cease.
That equally with us for love America may claim,—
And thus a watchword of itself to hold the West in peace,
And keep our race at unison, and bid their quarrels cease.
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In anywise, a royal prince we ask to bless us now,
And bathe these snowy decks with honour's light from poop to prow,
Both officers and crew ennobled, by his royal touch,—
Oh, this would gladden Canada! Oh, this would raise her much!
And bathe these snowy decks with honour's light from poop to prow,
Both officers and crew ennobled, by his royal touch,—
Oh, this would gladden Canada! Oh, this would raise her much!
Disunion then must crouch ashamed of all his sullen pride,
Nor in the cold with selfish schemes would dare to stand aside;
Newfoundland and Prince Edward's Isle shall gladly come in too,
And join their hands and hearts with us, as patriots good and true.
Nor in the cold with selfish schemes would dare to stand aside;
Newfoundland and Prince Edward's Isle shall gladly come in too,
And join their hands and hearts with us, as patriots good and true.
Nor can one thought of harm to us afflict our neighbours then,
For all will reverence the homes of honest loyal men
Whose royal prince must charm all hearts,—for all men shall be seen
Lovers of him, for love of Her, whom all most love—The Queen!
For all will reverence the homes of honest loyal men
Whose royal prince must charm all hearts,—for all men shall be seen
Lovers of him, for love of Her, whom all most love—The Queen!
No. V. CANADA'S CHOICE.
Two glorious ideas for the World of the West,
So grand, one is puzzled to say which is best,
Best for old England, and best for mankind,
Best for creation in matter and mind.
So grand, one is puzzled to say which is best,
Best for old England, and best for mankind,
Best for creation in matter and mind.
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For a first that the States in their greatness should grow
And fill the new world on the scheme of Monroe;
Whereby dear Old England expands in her child
By religion and laws and her tongue undefiled:
And fill the new world on the scheme of Monroe;
Whereby dear Old England expands in her child
By religion and laws and her tongue undefiled:
Let Russia sell millions of acres of ice,
And Mexico's realm be annexed in a trice,
Northward or southward,—still Englishmen stand
With their own mother-tongue in a mother-like land:
And Mexico's realm be annexed in a trice,
Northward or southward,—still Englishmen stand
With their own mother-tongue in a mother-like land:
Even if Canada, mighty and free,
Resolve, as she may, a Republic to be,
Join'd with America, all would be seen
One brotherly friend to our own King or Queen:
Resolve, as she may, a Republic to be,
Join'd with America, all would be seen
One brotherly friend to our own King or Queen:
America, under what rulers it will,
Must ever be free to an Englishman still,
And, just as the world of old days was all Rome,
England is ever America's home.
Must ever be free to an Englishman still,
And, just as the world of old days was all Rome,
England is ever America's home.
The second great thought—and a better it seems,
To one who rejoices in loyalist dreams—
Is—Canada kingdom'd!—that half of the West
Refleeting Britannia's rule as the best;
To one who rejoices in loyalist dreams—
Is—Canada kingdom'd!—that half of the West
Refleeting Britannia's rule as the best;
Stable good government, changeless and strong
In prosperous right and discomfited wrong;
Yielding a refuge well open to all
Who prefer royal peace to republican thrall,—
In prosperous right and discomfited wrong;
Yielding a refuge well open to all
Who prefer royal peace to republican thrall,—
Yet giving to no one offence, if he care
To prefer to a throne his President's chair,
But standing in loyalty, faithful and fast,
By Canada's Kings, from the first to the last.
To prefer to a throne his President's chair,
But standing in loyalty, faithful and fast,
By Canada's Kings, from the first to the last.
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Thus England monarchical smiles reconciled
On the face of her kingless American child,
Mother and daughter both claiming to share
Liberty's soil, as coheiresses there!
On the face of her kingless American child,
Mother and daughter both claiming to share
Liberty's soil, as coheiresses there!
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No. VI. HONOURS AND DEFENCES.
A Throne,—with its titles and places and gifts,
A peerage, a Court, and all parties made one
By loyalty's wholesome romance, that uplifts
And quickens a Nation its new race to run,—
This, this is the plan to make Canada strong,
To keep her united and English and free,
To save her at once from unneighbourly wrong,
And start her aright both by land and by sea.
A peerage, a Court, and all parties made one
By loyalty's wholesome romance, that uplifts
And quickens a Nation its new race to run,—
This, this is the plan to make Canada strong,
To keep her united and English and free,
To save her at once from unneighbourly wrong,
And start her aright both by land and by sea.
We could not protect her, should perils assail;
Herself must provide both the spear and the shield,
Our distant defending would certainly fail,
Three-thousand-mile absence is too far afield:
That frontier so vast might be hard frozen in
While foes were close by and all friends far away,
And if in the fight she would go in and win,
Herself must in chief be her strength and her stay!
Herself must provide both the spear and the shield,
Our distant defending would certainly fail,
Three-thousand-mile absence is too far afield:
That frontier so vast might be hard frozen in
While foes were close by and all friends far away,
And if in the fight she would go in and win,
Herself must in chief be her strength and her stay!
Let England attract to new homes in the West
(By land she may grant, or unrented may lend)
Her emigrant poor, in such bounty well-blest,
On the good feudal rule, “What you hold you defend:”
Let Canada's Magnates be honoured and raised
By office and rank, as the chiefs of their race;
Let patriot zeal be promoted and praised,
And the name of each lordship be link'd to a place.
(By land she may grant, or unrented may lend)
Her emigrant poor, in such bounty well-blest,
On the good feudal rule, “What you hold you defend:”
Let Canada's Magnates be honoured and raised
By office and rank, as the chiefs of their race;
Let patriot zeal be promoted and praised,
And the name of each lordship be link'd to a place.
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Toronto, Quebec, Montreal, and St. John's,
Hamilton, Halifax, Ottawa,—these,
With scores of like names, and as rich in great sons,
Might yield them their titles in varied degrees;
Let the duke, and the earl, and the baron be there,
Each in the just grade of his wealth and his worth,
And the people's free voices be glad to declare
Who best should be ranged with the nobles of earth.
Hamilton, Halifax, Ottawa,—these,
With scores of like names, and as rich in great sons,
Might yield them their titles in varied degrees;
Let the duke, and the earl, and the baron be there,
Each in the just grade of his wealth and his worth,
And the people's free voices be glad to declare
Who best should be ranged with the nobles of earth.
As War with his laurel was eager to deck
For conquests of old each illustrious name,
As Brock of Niagara, Wolfe of Quebee,
Are throned on their columns, high trophied in fame,—
So Peace has her victories too, and accords
Her olives and palms to the patriot band
Whom Canada claims for her heroes and lords
Round a Prince of the Blood as the King of her Land!
For conquests of old each illustrious name,
As Brock of Niagara, Wolfe of Quebee,
Are throned on their columns, high trophied in fame,—
So Peace has her victories too, and accords
Her olives and palms to the patriot band
Whom Canada claims for her heroes and lords
Round a Prince of the Blood as the King of her Land!
And an Order for Canada well might be found
In a star, or a cross, or a badge, or a name,
To win her respect from the peoples around,
And cheaply reward the first heirs of her fame:
So, her King, well surrounded by commons and peers,
With millions of acres to grant to free men,
Will prosper, till Earth shall have ended her years,
And stand as the child of Old England till then!
In a star, or a cross, or a badge, or a name,
To win her respect from the peoples around,
And cheaply reward the first heirs of her fame:
So, her King, well surrounded by commons and peers,
With millions of acres to grant to free men,
Will prosper, till Earth shall have ended her years,
And stand as the child of Old England till then!
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